Tools: Zoraxy vs Caddy: Which Proxy to Self-Host?

Tools: Zoraxy vs Caddy: Which Proxy to Self-Host?

Quick Verdict

Overview

Feature Comparison

Installation Complexity

Community and Support

Use Cases

Choose Zoraxy If...

Choose Caddy If...

Final Verdict

Is Zoraxy's web UI worth the extra RAM?

Can I use Caddy plugins to match Zoraxy's features?

Which handles Let's Encrypt better?

Related Caddy is the better reverse proxy — lighter, faster, more battle-tested, and its Caddyfile is nearly as simple as a web UI. Choose Zoraxy if you specifically want a GUI for proxy management plus built-in uptime monitoring and GeoIP filtering without running additional tools. Caddy and Zoraxy both provide automatic HTTPS, but they take different approaches. Caddy uses a two-line config file per service. Zoraxy provides a web interface where you click to add proxy rules. Both handle Let's Encrypt certificates automatically. Caddy (v2.10.2) is a modern web server and reverse proxy written in Go. Its Caddyfile format is the simplest config language of any proxy. Automatic HTTPS, HTTP/3, and static file serving are built in. Zoraxy (v3.3.1) is a Go-based reverse proxy with a web management UI. It bundles HTTP/HTTPS proxying, TCP/UDP stream proxying, uptime monitoring, GeoIP filtering, a web SSH terminal, and Docker container discovery. Caddy: One container, one Caddyfile, two volumes. Adding a service: Two lines. Reload. Done. Zoraxy: One container, three ports, two volumes, optional Docker socket. Adding a service: open web UI, click "Add Rule," fill in domain and upstream, toggle HTTPS, save. About 30 seconds of clicking. Winner: Tie. Both are extremely easy. Caddy is faster for people comfortable with text files. Zoraxy is faster for people who prefer GUIs. Caddy uses 3-5x less RAM at idle. It is also the only one of the two with HTTP/3 support. For a resource-constrained server (Raspberry Pi, small VPS), Caddy is the clear winner. Winner: Caddy for performance and resource efficiency. Caddy's 61K stars and 10+ years of maturity dwarf Zoraxy's 5K stars and 4 years of existence. Caddy's documentation is among the best of any open-source project. Winner: Caddy by a wide margin. Caddy wins for most self-hosters. Its Caddyfile is so simple that the lack of a web UI is barely noticeable. Two lines per service, automatic HTTPS, 20 MB of RAM. It is the best reverse proxy for homelabs. Zoraxy wins on bundled features. If you want a single tool that replaces your reverse proxy, uptime monitor, and GeoIP filter, Zoraxy consolidates three tools into one. That consolidation has value for people who want fewer moving parts. Our recommendation: start with Caddy. If you later decide you want a GUI or built-in monitoring, try Zoraxy or Nginx Proxy Manager. For most setups, no. Caddy's Caddyfile achieves the same result with 3-5x less memory. But if you manage proxy rules frequently and dislike editing text files, the GUI saves time. Partially. caddy-docker-proxy adds Docker auto-discovery. There are community plugins for GeoIP. But there is no Caddy plugin for integrated uptime monitoring or web SSH. Both handle it well. Caddy is slightly more mature — it has supported automatic HTTPS since 2015 and handles edge cases (OCSP stapling, on-demand TLS, fallback CAs) more robustly. Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse

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app.example.com { reverse_proxy app:8080 } app.example.com { reverse_proxy app:8080 } app.example.com { reverse_proxy app:8080 } - You strongly prefer a web UI over editing config files - Built-in uptime monitoring replaces a separate Uptime Kuma instance - GeoIP filtering is a requirement - You want TCP/UDP stream proxying through a visual interface - Web SSH access through the proxy UI is valuable - You want Docker container auto-discovery with GUI management - You want the lightest, simplest reverse proxy - Config-as-code in a versioned text file matters - HTTP/3 support is important - You want the largest community and best documentation - Static file serving alongside proxying is needed - You prefer minimal resource usage - On-demand TLS (certificate provisioned at first request) is needed - How to Self-Host Zoraxy with Docker - How to Self-Host Caddy with Docker - Zoraxy vs Nginx Proxy Manager - Zoraxy vs Traefik - Traefik vs Caddy - Best Self-Hosted Reverse Proxy - Docker Compose Basics